Thill-coupling



UNITED STATES Patented january 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,610, dated January 5, 1904. Application filed October 12, 1903. Serial No. 176,695. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. INGRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moodus, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improved means for coupling the thills of a wagon or vehicle to the running-gear thereof; and it consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts which I will hereinafter describe, and point out in the claims. r

In the accompanying drawings, forming part ,of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thill-coupling embodying the salient features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the dotted lines showing the open position of the parts.

In said drawings the shaft or pole-iron A is .made with a stub end a, by means of which it is welded, bolted, or otherwise secured to the shaft or pole. The rear end of this iron is enlarged to form a head or downward projection A, having a socket or recess 1) in the middle portion of its rear face to receive the coupling-bolt of the usual clip, (not shown,) which is secured to the axle of the vehicle. This projection of the rear end of the iron A below the plane of the main portion thereof and the placing of the socket or recess for this bolt in the intermediate portion of the projection or enlargement allows the lower portion of the same to extend far enough under the bolt to preclude the possibility of its coming accidentally unhooked. The upper portion of the rear end of the enlargement is forked and formed with the ears 0, the forked portion opening into the recess 1) for the coupling-bolt. 'Within said forked portion and pivotally mounted between said ears is a curved lever D, the short arm of which is recessed at d to admit the bolt when coupling the thill to the vehicle is desired and when the parts are in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The recessing of the lower end or short arm ofthe lever provides for the existence of a curved spur or projection e at one side of the recess, and which spur or projection enters the fork of the enlargement A and forms a part of the wall of the recess 1) when the parts are closed and the thill coupled, and said spur or projection lies in the entrance of the recess or socket b and is first engaged by the bolt when the thill is fitted thereto.

The lever D has its short arm also formed or provided with a transverse bar f of a length about equal to the width of the iron A and of such width that it will close into the open rear end of the recess or socket when the bolt is in place, whereby said bolt is securely confined between the front wall of the recess and the front face of the bar, as shown in Fig. 1.

The long arm of the lever D curves upwardly and forwardly and has pivotally secured to its free end the upper end of a lever E. This lever E is forked at its upper end to receive the free end of the lever D, and the lower portion of said lever E is provided with a curved cam-surface h, which engages and rides upon the top surface of the iron A, the said. surface and also the cam-face of the lever E being serrated to produce a more effective and locked engagement of the parts and to tightly hold the parts, so that all rattling is avoided. This connection also enables me to compensate for the wear of the parts by more tightly forcing the cam-face of the lever E into engagement with the iron A.

The operation of my device will be readily understood from the following: To attach the thills, the cam-lever is released from its engagement with the iron A, and this lever and the lever B are moved about their pivots and lie upon the iron substantially as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this position the spur or projection e is guarding the entrance to the recess a and the cross-bar f has been swung out of this recess and lies sufliciently clear of the same to allow the bolt to pass thereunder. When the parts are in the position shown, the thill is forced into engagement with the bolt, the latter first contacting with the spur or projection e and rocking the lever about its pivotal connection. When the bolt has fully entered the recess, the cross-bar f has closed in behind it, thus confining the bolt between said bar and the front of the recess and the spur e. The parts may now be locked in this closed position by turning the cam-lever down and forcing its v serrated cam-face into close engagement with the serrated face of the iron A. Any looseness between the thill-coupling and the bolt may be readily taken up by forcing the cam more intimately into engagement with the iron, and, if desired the cam-lever may be made sufficiently weighted and freely swinging that when the lever B is lifted by the insertion of the coupling-bolt it will automatically drop into engagement with the serrated portion of the iron A, and thus lock itself, but which lock is made more secure by tightening the parts by a further movement of the cam-lever upon the surface of the iron A.

The device described is simple, strong, and effective and may be cheaply constructed. It consists of but three essential parts, does not draw or push into ajointed part, but into a solid iron enlargement of the iron A, and is instantaneous in operation and will not detach until the cam-lever is lifted out of its engagement with the iron A.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a shaft-iron having its rear end provided with a downward projection recessed at its intermediate portion to receive the coupling-bolt, a lever pivotally mounted on the shaft-iron and having a short arm provided with a crossbar to swing into and out of said recess, and a cam-shaped lever pivotally secured to the long arm of the lever and adapted to lock in engagement with the shaft-iron.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a shaft-iron enlarged at its rear end and the intermediate portion of the enlargement recessed to receive the coupling-bolt, a lever pivoted above said recess and having a short arm to enter the same said short arm of the lever provided with a recess and a transverse bar which swings into and out of the recess as the lever is raised or lowered about its pivotal connection, and a lever pivoted to the free end of the first-named lever and having a cam-face to look into engagement with the shaft-iron.

3. In a thill-coupling the combination of a shaft-iron having a downwardly-projecting enlargement at its rear end said enlargement recessed in its intermediate portion and having the portion above said recess forked or bifurcated; a lever pivoted within said forked portion and having a short arm to enter said recess said short arm recessed to initially receive the coupling-bolt and having a projecting spur at one side of the recess and a transverse bar at the opposite side thereof said bar adapted to be moved into and out of the recess of the shaft -iron when the lever is rocked about its pivotal connection, and a lever pivotally secured to the free end of the first-named lever and having a cam-face adapted to be forced into locked engagement with the shaft-iron.

4. A thill-coupling comprising ashaft-iron enlarged at the rear and having the intermediate portion of the enlargement recessed to receive the coupling-bolt; a lever pivoted to the shaft-iron at a point above said recess and having a short arm recessed to initially receive said bolt and to form a spur and cross-bar .said spur engaged by the entering coupling-bolt to rock the lever and cause the cross-bar to close into the recess of the shaftiron behind the bolt; and a lever pivotally secured to the free end of the first-named lever and having a cam-shaped end to engage directly with the shaft-iron, said shaft-iron and cam-surface of the lever serrated and adapted to interlock one with the other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY O. INGRAHAM.

Witnesses:

HARRY A. EMERSON, EUGENE W. CHAFFEE. 

